1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an analysis method and device and, in particular, to a method and a device for ingredient analysis.
2. Related Art
The quality control and ingredient discriminating ability in medicine, cosmetic or food are very important researches. For example, the typical discriminating methods include an exterior description method, a microscopic discriminating method and a chemical class testing method. The chemical class testing methods include thin layer chromatography (TLC), beam splitter photometer, gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography mass spectrum (GC-MS), liquid chromatography (LC) and liquid chromatography mass spectrum (LC-MS) methods.
Taking the commonly used TLC method as an example, the analyzing flow chart is shown in FIG. 1. First, in step S01, a developing tank is prepared. Next, in step S02, a silica gel TLC plate is provided to develop the menstruum, which may be a mixed solution composed of acetone, petroleum spirit, xylene and ethylmethylketone. In step S03, the sample solution with suitable concentration and the control compound solution with suitable concentration are prepared. The preparing method includes the steps of: taking a predetermined amount of solid (or powder) sample (or control compound); and dissolving the solid (or powder) sample (or control compound) in a solvent (e.g., acetone) to prepare the sample solution (or control compound solution) with the suitable concentration.
In step S04, a predetermined amount of sample solution and a predetermined amount of control compound solution, which are prepared in the step S03, are dropped at positions separated from each other by a predetermined distance at the bottom end of the TLC plate, and are then developed and dried. Next, in step S05, the TLC plate with the developed and dried sample solution and control compound solution is partially immersed in the menstruum until the menstruum is developed over the TLC plate to a certain distance. Finally, in step S06, the ratio of flow (Rf) of the appeared spots of the sample solution and the control compound solution on the TLC plate is inspected via a UV light source with the wavelength of 254 nanometers, thereby comparing the ingredients of the sample solution with those of the control compound solution.
However, when the ratio of flow (Rf) is being inspected via the TLC method, the human judging factors may seriously influence the final analysis result. In addition, the steps of the overall procedure are very complicated, time-consuming and labor-consuming, and the TLC method only can be restricted in analyzing some specific samples. In addition, in the qualitative analysis of the sample, two or more conditions have to be satisfied. Thus, the resolution and the sensitivity of the analysis result are poor. Nevertheless, compared with the TLC and the beam splitter photometer, the GC, GC-MS, LC and LC-MS methods need to spend a very long period of analyzing time to obtain the chromatography spectrum with well-separated effect in order to obtain the clearer and more definite analysis result. However, when the polarity range distribution corresponding to various ingredients in the sample is very wide, these ingredients stay in the separation columns for the very long time and thus influence the efficiency of the separation columns. Moreover, the analysis result may be interfered and the reproducibility of the analysis result is decreased.
Therefore, it is an important subject of the invention to provide a method and a device for ingredient analysis that can quickly and precisely analyze all ingredients contained in the sample.